Follow by Email

Distractions from Writing

Life. Yep, you all know what this is, things that happen that take you away from writing. The not so good ones are getting sick, going to doctor appointments, having to take care of the chores of life such as doing your taxes, housework, laundry and cooking. Because I like to eat good food, I really enjoy cooking--most of the time.

Family. Because family is more important than writing, I love seeing my family which as most of you know is very large. I usually don't babysit because I think I've gotten too old, especially to take care of the little ones. However, I do babysit in emergencies. Recently I had a great-granddaughter come here after school because mom had to work. She's a delight and I enjoyed having her around.

Telephone Calls. I usually don't get many and I don't make many because I don't really like to talk on the phone. Once in awhile I get one from someone who has a paying job for me to do. Even then, I'll get an email address and take care of the details through emails. Saves me time, and the person has in writing what I need from them.

Doing the Job. When I'm paid to do a job, I tend to that right away. My writing incomes is slow to come in and I have to pay for my traveling somehow.

Having fun with hubby. At least once a week, hubby and I love to head down the hill and eat lunch out and go to a movie. I've always loved movies and I'm so glad he likes to go too.

Doing promotion away from home. This could be a one day event like speaking at a nearby library or it could be going to a mystery or writing conference or convention. I know some authors write while they are at these events--not me, I love visiting with authors and readers. While I'm away from home, I'll be busy socializing.

Ah ha, a biggiie is writing blogs like this one. (And of course there's Facebook and email.)

I'm sure you can think of more. What's one of your distractions from writing?

This question of distractions really caused me to think. In truth, I think I find it harder 'to' write than 'not to' write, even as much as I love writing.

Life and work certainly get in the way. Can't avoid those things. But I also find it's a 'mood' thing. When I get in that mood, all I want to do is write. But then I find that my wife feels like she's being neglected (which is pretty-much true I suppose), and that makes me feel guilty. If I'm in the writing mood, I get so focused that I don't want to do anything else. Those who do write understand the 'zone' you get into.

But it's hard to ignore the many non-writiing distractions and keep the focus. I found years ago in graduate school that if I sit down with a glass of wine, my brain seems more able to find the focus I need. Not that I recommend getting sloshed when writing, but in moderation it does help me keep my mind on one thing. I don't always do that, but sometimes it seems to help when I have too many distractions, but really want to get a chapter or two done.

I have also found it takes a lot of perseverance and self-discipline to keep working and keep the focus. Whatever it takes, writing is one of the most incredible things I've ever done. You get started and the only restriction on where you go is your own creativeness. I'm working on "FBI Diary: Field Profiler," and if I had my way I'd do nothing else. But, gotta pay the bills and get to work every day! I think when spring break at the college arrives in several weeks, I'm going to spend as much of that week writing and see if I can get this thing to the point of completion. And then get to work on another one!

Popular posts from this blog

It’s not a cozy!
My recent book The Most Dangerous Species is set in
a 12-acre cat rescue sanctuary in a village much like the one where I live in
the mountains in Central California.
Cozies are a genre of mystery fiction that often include
cats, domestic murders, amateur sleuths, and sometimes recipes. The tone is often light and airy and the sex
and violence happen off screen. I like them just fine when I’m in that mood,
but those are not the books I write.

Police procedurals are more in my line. The Most Dangerous Species features
a hotshot sheriff’s homicide detective from Bakersfield and a prickly village
patrol officer. The backstory of cat rescue is one that I know well, having
been a co-founder of the local SPCA.
Over the space of years I helped set up spay/neuter clinics, trapped and
fostered litters of feral cats, wrote grants and set up a thrift store to help
fund our work.
Animal rescue work makes you hate people for the terrible
things they do to animals. All of tha…

The Storm is a bit different than other books I've read by John M. Wills. It's a story of betrayal and the difficulty of forgiveness.
The heroine, Anna, is out for a run in a secluded area and is struck by lightning during a sudden storm. She isn't discovered right away, and when she awakens in a hospital, she has no idea who she is.
Her husband, Mark, who has been unfaithful, regrets his actions. The woman he's been seeing isn't ready to let him go and causes major problems as he tries to help Anna recover from her injuries and to regain her memory.
As with all of John's books, there is a spiritual element.
When it doesn't seem like things will be resolved in a happy ending. there is a shocking twist.
I did enjoy The Storm, and recommend it to others.
Marilyn

A scandal that began in the 1970s and lasted ten years inspired
me to write Secrets Behind the BigPencil. Investigators indicted more than
one hundred employees of an international organization that resulted in about
thirty-five convictions. As my ex-husband worked for the actual organization
although he was not involved in anything illegal, I knew many of the players. I
collected newspaper clippings and made notes as I interviewed several people.
Back then, the Internet was merely a glimmer in some nerds’ eyes.
While I had written many articles and columns and edited
newsletters books, and more, I had never written a novel. Originally, I wrote
the book using the real entity, sticking to the facts like a journalist, including
far too many characters. No one wanted to publish it. Over the years, it laid
dormant as I honed the genre. I shipped my files when I decided to spend most
of my time in Costa Rica.
Over the years, I painstakingly combined several actual
people into one character…